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| Hundreds of rape victims await justice in JK as Govt 'dumps' investigations | | 600 cases registered in last 2 yrs alone | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 20: Even as the Kathua rape and murder case has brought international focus on crime against women in J&K, the fact remains that hundreds of rape cases in the state have been dumped for years by successive regimes as victims cry for justice.
Official documents accesses by Early Times reveal that around 600 cases of rape were registered in the state in last two years alone. The victims allege that the investigating agencies were not serious enough to get the culprits punished and thus apprehend hush up of the cases.
Officials said hundreds of rape victims continue to cry for the justice for years now as the government, mainly police didn't take up the cases seriously. Officials added that there was a need to develop fast track courts for such cases.
Official figures reveal that in the last two years, 213 rape cases were registered in Kashmir and Ladakh, while 382 cases were registered in Jammu province.
Of the 213 rape cases in Kashmir region, 125 rape cases were registered by police in 2015 and 88 in 2016. In Kashmir, frontier district of Kupwara has recorded highest number of 30 rape cases, followed by Anantnag with 29 cases and 27 cases in Srinagar.
In Kashmir, one of the high profile rape cases was reported from Kulgam in 2017, where one of the accused happens to be a senior leader from a ruling party. But government is yet to tighten noose around his neck. The victim's family, on the other hand, apprehends that "efforts are on to discredit the victim and her supporters."
In Jammu province, the highest number 93 cases of rapes were registered in Jammu city. It was followed by Rajouri with 70 cases. In one of the cases in Rajouri, the then SHO is accused of having asked the victim not to opt for case but to marry her rapist and that he would facilitate a truce between the two families.
The victims say police role in most of the cases has been questionable in Jammu region as despite media briefings from the victims, the government remained silent.
A civil society face said one such case was referred to the Women's Rights Commission Chairperson Nayeema Mehjoor but she declined to take suo motto cognizance.
Though Mehbooba Mufti-led government has increased the number of police stations for women, the rape victims cry unheard.
After coming to power, Mehbooba established six women police stations largely manned by women police in the State to deal with the cases of domestic and social violence against women. These police stations have been established in Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Jammu, Rajouri, Udhampur. |
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